Masks and Ribbons
by FallingRain22
Summary: Marinette and Adrien are cast as the roles of their alter-egos in a school play. Marinette struggles with balancing her double life and worries that Alya might be on to something. Friendships are tested, relationships built and lost, secrets kept and shared. How far is Marinette willing to go to protect her alias?
1. Chapter 1

_Marinette Dupain-Cheng…. Ladybug_

Marinette's heart nearly stopped as her eyes focused on the words, her mouth going dry. There was no way this could happen; as soon as someone saw her behind a mask, they'd surely recognize her to actually be Ladybug. As she read who was to play her partner, a blush crept across her face.

 _Adrien Agreste…...… Chat Noir_

She wasn't surprised, really. Adrien was one of the most talented people Marinette knew, and she could certainly see the resemblance. Blond hair, green eyes, same build. Not to mention that Adrien almost always got the lead in the plays, though Marinette had to admit it was probably more so due to his social status than his actual acting skills. But just imagining Adrien Agreste firing bad cat puns at her and flirting nonstop with her as Ladybug, her blush deepened in color and she jumped in surprise as a hand touched her shoulder. To her dismay, Adrien was standing behind her. He offered her an encouraging smile, but his gaze seemed elsewhere. Marinette couldn't decipher his expression. Adrien looked pleased, but he also seemed a bit...worried? About what? That Marinette had been chosen to be Ladybug? Was he disappointed?

"I look forward to working with you, _milady_ ," Adrien teased, leaning down in a bow and sounding so much like Chat Noir that Marinette almost retorted as she normally would, but the words were less certain than when she was Ladybug, as if she were hesitant to say them to Adrien, her friend, rather than her flirtatious partner.

"And I'm stuck with a stray," Marinette groaned in mock dismay. She offered him a sly smile when she saw Adrien's expression of surprise morph into a smirk. "Don't push your luck, kitty cat."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Adrien replied smoothly. He smiled again, looking at Marinette with new interest. "You're pretty good at this. Did you audition for Ladybug?" Marinette's cheeks reddened once more and she shook her head.

"Thanks, I can see why they cast you. You're not a bad Chat Noir yourself. Though you forgot the bad puns." The edge of Adrien's mouth twitched into a wider smile.

"Why, you act as though making puns is a _cat_ astrophe." Marinette rolled her eyes. It would be fun acting with Adrien. But she had to be careful not to get too comfortable in her role. She had to make sure not to do it too perfectly. Marinette glanced at the clock on the wall before turning back to Adrien.

"I've got to go, but I'll see you later at rehearsals." She wrinkled her nose. "Surely you can come up with a better pun than that, _Chat_." Before he could reply, Marinette spun on her heel and walked back to her locker, glancing back once to see Adrien staring at her with the strangest expression on his face. Marinette started when two hands suddenly pulled her backward into a nearby classroom.

"Are you two perfect or what?" Alya asked excitedly, her golden brown eyes wide. Marinette scowled and crossed her arms.

"Alya, I told you that I didn't want to be in the Ladybug play. I'm too busy to-"

"Come on, Marinette, don't even pretend that you're not the perfect person for the role. And you get to lead with _Adrien Agreste!_ This should be a dream come true!"

"I've told you before that Adrien is nothing like Chat Noir. How could you bring him down to Chat's level? Ugh, you know how Chat is always flirting with Ladybug. I do not want to act with Adrien like that. Even though he's...really...good...at...it." Marinette threw her hands up in the air. "This can't work out, Alya. I've given you my reasons many times and you still cast me as Ladybug."

"Would you rather that Chloe lead with him?" Alya drew out in reply. Marinette disliked the idea completely but couldn't help but weakly protest,

"You _did_ think that Chloe was Ladybug once." Alya rolled her eyes and waved her hand in the air.

"Look around, Marinette! No one could possibly be a better Ladybug than you. Your hair, your eyes, all you really need to do is be more confident!"

"Did you even ask Ladybug and Chat Noir if they wanted a play written about them?" Marinette asked, already knowing the answer. Her frown deepened. "It's practically fanfiction, Alya. And I know you write a lot of it, but this is taking it to a whole other level." Marinette cringed as she thought of all the "LadyNoir" fanfiction Alya had shown her recently with the approach of Valentine's Day. Marinette was no stranger to being part of a fandom and she understood, partly, that people would write stories about their beloved heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir, but it didn't make reading them any less embarrassing. She desperately hoped Chat Noir didn't read them; God forbid he get any ideas from them. It didn't help that last year she'd had to save Chat Noir from an akuma by kissing him, which only fueled the fire of the ship. Even now Marinette's face felt warm remembering it. It had been her first kiss after all...

"Well, I haven't _asked_ them, but I'm sure they would be fine with it." Marinette raised an eyebrow, half tempted to swing by Alya's place later as Ladybug and tell her otherwise. "Plus, I'm going to invite them to come watch the premiere of the play on Valentine's night!" Marinette's face immediately paled.

"Ummmm…"

"Do you think they'd come?" Alya thought aloud, beginning to pace in the classroom. Marinette tried to keep a straight face, frantically searching for a reason why they couldn't.

"Well, they'd p-probably be busy patrolling or something. Besides, you're practically asking them to come watch a romance about them! I-I don't think Ladybug w-would enjoy that very much. You know how she feels about Chat Noir's advances. Oh God, can you even imagine what Chat would do after watching such a thing?" Alya stared at her friend for a moment before she laughed.

"We'll see," she replied mischievously. Marinette did not like the look on Alya's face. "Perhaps it's all part of a greater plan, hm?" Marinette rubbed her temples, stifling a groan.

"I can't believe I put up with this," she muttered to herself. The last thing Chat needed was _encouragement_ to flirt with her. Marinette looked up at Alya, a slight hardness in her gaze. "Just remember that Ladybug and Chat Noir are people too, and you don't know who they really are. What if one of them is already in a relationship or has feelings for someone else? What if someone wrote fanfiction about you and Nino?" Alya raised her hands up in defense.

"Woah, ok girl, I got it. Though I wouldn't mind reading that fanfic," she answered with a wink. "So you'll be at rehearsal tomorrow?" Marinette sighed and stared into Alya's eyes for several seconds before offering a small smile.

"I guess I don't really have a choice, now do I?"

 **| oOOOo |**

"Marinette, what are you going to do if Alya invites Ladybug to the play?" Tikki poked her head out of the purse as Marinette walked down the street.

"Politely decline, I guess. I know it will probably make Alya upset, but I can't watch the play as Ladybug and be in the play at the same time! How did I get myself into this mess? I didn't even audition!" Marinette shook her head, her two pigtails bobbing slightly. "I really want to be in the play with Adrien, but it's too risky. Maybe I should just march back there and-" Several screams erupted from the direction of the school. Marinette immediately whipped around, tensing.

"Do you think it's a akuma?" Tikki asked, now flying out of the purse and hovering by Marinette's shoulder.

"It's definitely a possibility. Should we transform first and investigate or just-" Another set of screams. Marinette's eyes hardened. "I guess transform first." Marinette glanced around her for any unwanted supervisors and ran behind a building, Tikki right behind her. Marinette brushed her hair behind her ear and activated her miraculous.

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette smiled as the magical energy engulfed her body, a surge of strength, flexibility, and heightened awareness accompanying the indestructible suit. As soon as the glow faded, Marinette, now Ladybug, leaped onto the building and made her way toward the schoolyard. She studied the scene quickly, noticing the figure who stalked the students. The villainess was clothed in a dusty brown knee-length dress, her stone-gray boots matching the belt of rocks upon her waist. Her face was concealed behind a jagged gray mask of the same shade of her hard gray eyes. The girl's sandy blonde hair was pulled back into a braid. Ladybug searched the villain for her akuma and decided it had to be the rock embedded in the pendant of her silver necklace.

The akumatized girl suddenly lifted her hands, a small gem in the rock of her necklace glowing, and a jagged spike of rock erupted from the earth, throwing the students standing in that spot several hundred feet into the air. Ladybug gasped and hurled her yo-yo toward the falling students, slowing their fall so they could safely reach the ground and flee.

The akuma glared at Ladybug and summoned a rock from the ground beneath her, creating a platform and raising herself to the rooftop's height.

"Looks like we're off to a _rocky_ start," Chat Noir greeted, landing in a crouch next to Ladybug, who rolled her eyes.

"I think the akuma is in her necklace," she whispered in reply, purposefully ignoring the pun. Chat Noir studied the villainess for a moment. Ladybug's gaze focused on the girl as Hawk Moth's purple visor lit into existence.

"Chasmatias, the miraculouses!"

"That was fast," Ladybug remarked dryly. Chat let out a purr.

"Well, you are quite a _gem_ , milady. I'm surprised she hadn't tried to catch you earlier." Ladybug glared at him for a second before Chasmatias raised her hands, rock shooting out of the ground and twisting in the air around the two superheroes. Chat Noir leaped out just before the cage was complete, turning to stare at Ladybug with wide eyes. More tendrils curled around Ladybug's feet and hands. Panic fluttered in Ladybug's chest as the akuma drew closer, laughing rather harshly.

"I told you I would get them for you!" She cried to Hawk Moth, leaning down and smiling at Ladybug, their eyes locked. "Sorry to disappoint you, Ladybug, but I shall not be so easily defeated." Chasmatias reached toward Ladybug's earrings as the heroine struggled violently against the rock. Chat Noir growled.

"Keep your dirty hands off of her!" He then leaped toward Chasmatias, tackling the girl off of her platform and sending both of them plummeting to the ground. The villainess screamed and frantically summoned a large pile of dirt to cushion her fall. Chat extended his staff and dug it into the dirt, the momentum throwing him sideways before he tumbled back onto the ground.

On the roof, Ladybug struggled against her rock prison, but she couldn't move her hand enough to reach her yo-yo. Thankfully she hadn't used her Lucky Charm yet; she would have enough power to last for several hours yet. Ladybug blinked as Chat Noir's green eyes peered through the stone bars. He winked at her and summoned his Cataclysm before pressing his hand firmly against the stone.

"Ah, _gneiss_ to see you again," Chat quipped as the cage disintegrated, helping Ladybug stand up again. Chasmatias' figure rose above the roof top, her gem glowing brightly.

"Don't think you'll get away!" She snapped, once more summoning a cage. This time, Chat Noir and Ladybug leaped nimbly out of the way. Ladybug glanced at Chat in concern as his ring beeped once, but his expression remained determined.

"We've got a couple minutes." He swung his staff at some advancing columns of rock, shattering them. "I'm not sure how long I can keep this up, though." Ladybug nodded once in affirmation and prepared to summon her Charm when she was suddenly propelled backwards off the roof. She could only manage a small gasp as the air was knocked from her lungs when she hit the ground rolling. After several seconds, the dust cleared and she could see Chat standing beside her in a fighting stance. Chasmatias stepped closer to them, smirking.

"Think fast." The ground beneath them rippled and the two heroes sank downwards at an alarming rate.

"It's quicksand!" Ladybug called to Chat when he tried to leap out of the pit. "You can't get out that way!" Chat Noir stopped struggling and stared at her.

"Quicksand? In Paris?" He sounded a little doubtful.

"It must be part of Chasmatias' powers!" Ladybug replied, turning her attention to the villainess as Chasmatias laughed, throwing her head back.

"Of course it's my doing. How else was I supposed to ensure that you didn't escape?" Ladybug's eyebrows furrowed as her mind worked frantically. She looked around, trying to steady her breathing and come up with a plan. Ladybug still had her yo-yo in her hand, but it seemed Chat Noir had dropped his staff. It didn't matter; Ladybug could still use her power.

"Lucky Charm!" She cried, throwing the yo-yo up In a flash of bright light, a hammer fell back into Ladybug's hands. "How is this supposed to help us get out of here?" She thought in a moment of frustration. Tikki's small voice filled Ladybug's mind.

 _I wouldn't give it to you without a reason. You can figure it out, Marinette!_ Ladybug nodded to herself. Chat Noir gulped as the sand reached the bottom of his chest. Another beep came from his ring.

"I don't know, but please don't pro-cat-stinate!" Ladybug glanced around, observing all of the details around her and creating connections. She abruptly smiled as her plan was complete.

"Got it!" Ladybug turned to Chat Noir. "Start moving your legs, slowly, apart. It will allow the water to go down and will loosen the sand's grip. When I say 'now', grab onto me." Chat nodded before adding slyly,

"Can't say I would mind that." Ladybug pressed her palm to her forehead in exasperation before she concentrated on loosening the sand's grip on her body. All this time, Chasmatias was walking closer.

"Come now, don't get any bright ideas. I'll just take the miraculouses and then we'll be done. How's that sound?" Chasmatias crooned, stepping to kneel by Chat Noir. As soon as Ladybug felt a shift in the quicksand, she hurled her yo-yo toward Chat's staff and caught it in one hand. Her body twisted as she then tossed the staff toward a crevice between two buildings, her yo-yo following shortly after and curling around the staff. Ladybug glanced at Chat questioningly. He nodded in response.

"Now!" With that, Chat grabbed Ladybug's hand and she pulled them up out of the pit with her yo-yo. They came free with a hollow sucking noise. Chat retrieved his staff as Chasmatias let out a cry of frustration.

"What's the hammer for?" Chat Noir asked, shooting a sideways glance at Ladybug. She grinned.

"For this!" Ladybug leaped over the approaching girl. Time seemed to slow down as Ladybug pulled the necklace over the villainess' head, landing in a crouch behind her. Chasmatias screamed and turned toward Ladybug, but Chat Noir intercepted her.

"Earth-shattering news! Chasmatias is history!" Ladybug flung the necklace onto the ground and brought the hammer down hard on the rock, shattering the edges. A dark butterfly fluttered out of the remains. Ladybug opened her yo-yo and began to swing it like a pendulum.

"You're finished, little akuma." The yo-yo increased in speed and arched upwards into a full circle. "I free you from evil!" Ladybug shouted, throwing her yo-yo towards the butterfly and catching it in a white halo. "Gotcha!" Ladybug released the cleansed butterfly and watched it fly away with a small smile on her face.

"Bye-bye, pretty butterfly." She retrieved the hammer from the ground and tossed it into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!" As the magic reverted everything back to normal, Ladybug and Chat fistbumped, grinning at each other.

"Pound it!" Ladybug's earrings beeped a warning and Chat sighed.

"I guess we better go," he observed reluctantly. "See you around." Ladybug grabbed his arm and offered a tender half-smile, a rarity.

"Thanks for the help, kitty. I'll see you soon." Chat's eyes widened slightly as he considered the implications, but he brushed it off. She meant the next mission, of course.

"Milady," Chat replied, bowing. Ladybug was relieved that he didn't push the moment. And then he was gone, leaping over rooftops. Ladybug watched until he vanished from her sight. She turned to make her own exit, but Alya chose that moment to intercept her.

"Wow, Ladybug! You and Chat Noir did an amazing job taking down Chasmatias! I didn't know if you would escape the quicksand in time! And then you guys-" Ladybug laughed, a bit nervously.

"Yeah, glad that we could help." Her miraculous beeped again.

 _Marinette, we need to go soon! I don't have much energy left,_ Tikki warned.

"I should probably go." Alya kept pace with Ladybug as she started to walk away.

"Wait! I needed to ask you something! My school is putting on a play and I was wondering if you and Chat Noir might want to come see it? It's on Valentine's night! It is in your honor, after all." Ladybug almost choked, but refrained from doing so. In her honor? Yeah right, more like Alya fulfilling her headcanons in the closest thing to reality she can get. Ladybug turned to Alya and politely answered,

"I don't think that will be possible, since we're really busy. I'd love to and we'll see, but I really doubt that I can make it. I'm sorry." Alya seemed a little put-off, but she brightened and adjusted her grip on her phone.

"I totally understand! I look forward to seeing you there!" Another beep from the miraculous; Tikki was getting nervous. Ladybug bit her lip.

"I've really got to go." As an afterthought, Ladybug winked at the camera of Alya's phone. "See you later, Ladybloggers!" And with that, Ladybug threw her yo-yo upwards and soared onto the nearest building, running as far as she could before the transformation wore off.

As Marinette walked back home, her thoughts were in a flurry. How was she going to get out of this play mess?


	2. Chapter 2

Stifling a yawn, Marinette rubbed her eyes and rested a cheek on the palm of her hand, leaning slightly to one side. She hadn't slept well at all last night due to the patrol with Chat Noir, stressing over her physics test the next day, and trying to find a way for Alya to let her off the hook. Her gaze drifted to the back of Adrien's head and she began to slip into her imagination, in which Adrien would proclaim his love for her and they would finally be together as they always should have been. A soft sigh escaped her lips and her eyes began to slide closed.

"Hello, earth to Marinette!" Alya elbowed her in the side and Marinette sat up immediately, blinking hard and eyes wide. Mrs. Mendeleiev was staring impatiently at the raven-haired girl, her arms crossed, clearly waiting for an answer. Marinette's cheeks burned with humiliation and she bit her lip, looking frantically to Alya for a clue, but the teacher didn't give her a chance.

"Marinette, do you have the answer?" Marinette averted her eyes.

"No, ma'am. I'm sorry." Mrs. Mendeleiev sniffed and turned back to the board.

"You'll have to go see the director after class." Marinette's shoulders slumped forward and she tried not to think about the gazes that were trained on her. Even Adrien glanced back at her, confused. Chloé snickered and Marinette wished she could wipe the smug look off of her face if Marinette didn't die of embarrassment first.

"Yes, ma'am," Marinette replied dejectedly. Mrs. Mendeleiev nodded and began to write again, explaining figures and equations that swam in a confused muddle before Marinette's incomprehensive eyes. Choosing a random place to start, she half-heartedly began to jot down notes for later.

"You're acting like you didn't sleep a bit last night!" Alya whispered, raising an eyebrow at Marinette. "Are you that excited to be the lead with Adrien?" Marinette thought of the fitful few minutes of sleep she had actually received and grimaced. She _wished_ it had something to do with Adrien.

"It's not that," Marinette whispered in return, glancing down at her purse, where Tikki was curled up. "I had a lot of homework and I freaked out about the test today. And I'm still not happy that you chose me for Ladybug. I can barely talk to Adrien without screwing something up, even if we are better friends now!"

"Girl, I told you that you won't have to improvise. Just memorize the lines," Alya shot back with a wink. "Besides, you've talked to Chat Noir before, haven't you? Just pretend that Adrien really is Chat!" Marinette shuttered at the thought of flirting openly with Adrien just because he had a mask. She knew from her own experiences that a mask gave people boldness. When she was Ladybug, she could say things she otherwise wouldn't. But this was a play, and people knew who was actually behind the mask. The bell rang and the other students hurried out of class on their way to lunch. Marinette slid her books into her bag and yawned, standing uneasily on her feet and starting toward the front of the classroom. She turned when someone tapped her shoulder.

"Hey Marinette, are you ok? You look pretty tired." Adrien looked down at her, his green eyes sincere and concerned. Marinette was too tired to freak out about Adrien being worried for her and only managed a small shrug in response.

"I had a busy night," she mumbled, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. Adrien ran his fingers through his hair and gave a short laugh.

"I understand. I didn't get much sleep last night either. I mean, it was totally worth it, but…" He sighed. "Never mind. I couldn't really explain what I meant." Marinette's mind began to turn, the gears clicking slowly.

"Worth it?" Her eyes widened. "Were you _with_ someone?" Marinette blurted out before she could remember her manners. Horrified, she immediately covered her mouth with her hand and began to backpedal furiously. "I don't mean- what I meant was- ummmm-" Adrien smiled warmly at Marinette, brushing off her comment.

"I was with someone, but not like that." He laughed again. "No, just a friend of mine." The model winked at Marinette as he changed the topic, "So, you have enough energy for rehearsal after school?" Warmth spread from Marinette's toes and she rubbed the back of her neck as she thought of an answer.

"Well-"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng! The director's office!" Mrs. Mendeleiev snapped. Marinette groaned.

"Maybe. I'll see you later, Adrien!" Casting a remorseful glance at the blond, she turned and walked into the hallway. She was still tired, but talking to Adrien gave her a light heart and she found it easier to stay awake in her following classes, passing from subject to subject in trance. Her hand wrote notes seemingly on its own accord and Marinette heard what the teacher said, but her thoughts were slow to react to the words. When the time came for the physics test, Marinette was relieved to find that she could answer most of the questions without too much difficulty, but there were a couple problems that evaded her grasp. Sighing, Marinette turned her paper in just as the bell rang, dismissing the students for the day. A familiar flash of brown-red hair flickered in the corner of Marinette's vision.

"So, you ready for the first read through?"

"Huh?" Marinette tilted her head at Alya. "Oh, that." She yawned, stretching her arms upwards. "I mean, I guess I can come read Ladybug's lines until you find a replacement." Alya rubbed one of her temples, shaking her head with a small twinkle in her eyes.

"Are you still serious about not doing this? Marinette, if you're worried about acting, then you can rest your mind. You're amazing at everything you do." Alya laid her hands on Marinette's shoulders and tilted her friend's head upwards. Her voice softened. "I wouldn't have chosen you if you couldn't do it, you know that. You're honestly the best person in the whole school for this role. Do you trust me, Marinette?"

If it had been about anything else, Marinette wouldn't have hesitated to respond with a yes. But now she just stared up into her closest friend's eyes and couldn't form the word. The pause drew into several seconds of silence. Alya's gaze faltered and she stepped back.

"I trust you, Alya." Marinette finally affirmed. "But this is something different. I'm sorry." Alya appeared wounded by the words and another stretch of silence followed, the only sound the quiet ticking of the clock.

"I see. I guess you can still come read for Ladybug today." Alya's voice was uncertain and slightly distant. "See you there." Then she turned and marched out of the room, her step uncharacteristically delicate and unsure. Marinette watched her leave, her tired mind finally clicking with what happened. She wiped the tears from her eyes before they could slide down her cheeks and barely registered Tikki pressing herself against Marinette's cheeks.

"Is it always this hard to balance the two lives?" Marinette breathed, steadying herself against the wall. Tikki wiped Marinette's eyes.

"It's different for each Ladybug, but yes, it is often hard. Don't worry, Marinette. You just need to make it up to Alya. She's hurt because she thinks that her friendship isn't as important to you as yours is to her. Just talk to her." The little red Kwami pressed a soft kiss between Marinette's eyes. "Marinette is just as important as Ladybug is." Marinette carefully wrapped Tikki in the palms of her hands and drew her closer, thankful for her companionship.

"I guess we better get to that rehearsal then. I'll apologize to Alya afterwards." Exhausted, Marinette followed after her friend. It was going to be a long day yet.

 **| ooOOoo |**

When she got home, all Marinette wanted to do was curl up in bed and drift into her dreams, but she had a responsibility to keep. The sun had already began to set, and she had suggested to Chat that they start today's patrol early due to the lateness of the previous night's.

"I wish all I had to do to get energy was eat cookies like you," Marinette teased Tikki. She was in a slightly better mood after spending the past two hours with Adrien and though the conversation with Alya had been difficult and Marinette couldn't truly give her friend answers, they had finally agreed to just move on from the situation. Alya was also in higher spirits after the read through, because apparently Adrien and Marinette did the voices "just right" and she could imagine the two superheros actually saying those things to each other. Several times Marinette's voice had faltered, especially in the scenes Ladybug began to feel romantically toward Chat. During those scenes, Marinette flipped between stuttering the lines to Adrien and cringing at the picture of the utter amusement that would be plastered on Chat's face if he ever heard about it.

Tikki giggled and finished the chocolate chip cookie she was nibbling on. "It would take a lot of cookies to give you enough energy to do anything!" Marinette wheeled around as the trap door opened behind her. She smiled as her mother climbed up the stairs into her room.

"Dinner is ready downstairs, Marinette." Sabine planted a kiss on her daughter's cheek and pulled back, frowning as she studied Marinette's face. "Are you getting enough sleep, honey? You look tired." Marinette's stomach twisted; she hated lying to her parents. That was, without a doubt, her least favorite part of being Ladybug.

"Yeah, Mama, I'm fine. Just had a busy day at school. I'll probably lay down after we eat." Sabine patted Marinette's shoulder.

"Alright, if you're sure." The two descended down the stairs and stepped into the kitchen. The smell of freshly baked garlic bread and spaghetti permeated the air and made Marinette's nose twitch.

"Mmmmm, Papa! It smells delicious!" Marinette hugged her father, laughing as Tom picked her up into a bear hug.

"Just for you, Mari. We wanted to congratulate you on your role in the school play!" Marinette waved her hand in the air and sat down at the table.

"Oh, I'm just filling in until Alya chooses someone else. I figured I would be too busy helping out in the bakery with the holiday coming up, so I wouldn't be able-" Her parents looked mortified at the suggestion.

"Marinette, we would love for you to participate in the play! Especially when you're leading along with that Adrien fellow," Tom interjected, "we wouldn't mind if you didn't help out this year. We've got it covered." Marinette groaned inwardly; why did everyone want her to do this so badly?

"Really? Oh, then I'll have to talk to Alya about that," Marinette replied awkwardly. Her parents joined her at the table and began to serve the meal.

"We're proud of you, Marinette. You're becoming such a fine young lady." Marinette's heart warmed.

"I'm just lucky to have amazing parents."

A full stomach did nothing to alleviate Marinette's tiredness, but only added to her problem. She hoped the chilly January air would help keep her alert. So she stood on her balcony, breathing slowly as a frosty breeze wound through her hair and around her exposed neck. She shivered a bit and watched the sun disappear behind the horizon. It was time. Glancing around to ensure her privacy, Marinette activated her miraculous and soon Ladybug was swinging from building to building en route to the meeting place. Ladybug crouched on the building as she landed before rising back to her feet, tilting her head at Chat's absence. She must have arrived a few minutes early. Alone with her thoughts, and Tikki's, of course, Ladybug reflected on the day's events and was thankful for Tikki's magic energy coursing through her veins, otherwise she probably wouldn't be able to stay awake.

"Where is that cat?" Ladybug muttered to herself, kneeling at the edge of the building and observing the lit streets below as she waited. With a screech, Ladybug suddenly found herself laying flat on her back on the roof, a certain black cat smirking down at her.

"Catching his prey," Chat purred. Ladybug shoved his shoulder but he didn't budge.

"Get off of me, you fat kitty! I can't breathe," she huffed. Chat let out a _mrrow_ of amusement and stood up, offering a hand to Ladybug.

"Do you really find me fat, milady?" His green eyes glinted with humor and Ladybug rolled her eyes.

"Someone's in a good mood today." Chat's smirk grew and he pushed his bangs out of his face dramatically.

"I have just received the most purrrrfect news." Ladybug quirked an eyebrow at him. Chat's face drew closer to hers, his breath warm against her skin. "I hear that they're performing a play in our honor at the Collège Françoise Dupont on Valentine's." Ladybug placed her finger on his nose and pushed his face away.

"Oh, I'm sure that pleases you. I, however, am not interested in seeing how other people portray their fantasies about our relationship. Seems like everyone is talking about it today," She replied, a hint of irritation creeping into her voice. Chat didn't seem to notice.

"I heard that Adrien Agreste is going to play me. Pretty sweet, huh? Only fitting that the best model in Paris should represent this," he went on, gesturing to himself with a sweep of his hands. Ladybug snorted. Two could play that game.

"Consider that your one piece of good luck." Ladybug flicked one of Chat's black cat ears. "I was informed that Marinette will be portraying me. You remember Marinette, right?" Chat rested his staff on the back of his shoulders and leaned backwards on his heels.

"Of course. I've met her a couple of times. She's quite the problem solver and she can be quite bold. She'll do a good job," Chat proclaimed. He paused before adding, "The princess becoming the Ladybug." Ladybug stared at him for a couple seconds, slightly taken aback. Did she really let Ladybug bleed that much into her Marinette persona around him?

"I guess. I don't know her that well," Ladybug lied. Chat's green eyes studied her for a moment, contemplating, before his trademark grin stretched across his face. He swung his staff onto the ground and angled forward, pressing his weight onto it and shaking the blond hair out of his face with a flourish.

"I believe we have a patrol to attend to. Or did you fur-get?" Chat Noir winked, turning and leaping onto the next building, his suit gleaming in the moonlight. Laughing at her partner's sense of humor, Ladybug vaulted after him. And for the first time that day, all of her concerns were swept away by their playful banter and teasing. Ladybug had never been so thankful for Chat Noir's antics.


End file.
